


Meteorological Marmot

by GenerallyHuxurious (GallifreyanOmnishambles)



Series: Kylux Cryptids AU [22]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Kylo Still Has The Force, M/M, Paranormal Investigators, Physical Disability, Psychic Abilities, That's Not How The Force Works, Weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GallifreyanOmnishambles/pseuds/GenerallyHuxurious
Summary: Hux and Kylo are still in Florida where its nice and warm. But when will DC be warm enough for them to go home? Well, Kylo only trusts one source when it comes to the weather...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darcydent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darcydent/gifts).



> For this prompt on Tumblr - "Wintery Domestic Prompt - Donal and Kylo waiting to see if the Groundhog will see it's shadow so they can estimate when it will be warm enough to head back north."

Hux sighed and prodded the ice in his coffee with a straw. The barista had looked unimpressed about him ordering a quadruple shot beverage at 6am but thanks to Kylo’s libido he'd only gotten three hours sleep, so he really couldn't bring himself to care what others thought of him.

Why they were here of all places at this ungodly hour of the morning Hux really didn't know. All he knew was that he needed caffeine. Caffeine and entertainment.

“It's going to be a lovely sunny day out there.” He said after several more sighs failed to get Kylo attention. “There are beaches. There are outdoor gyms where you can show off your muscles. There are a wide range of cultural and historical attractions. A whole expressway full of lunatic drivers you could swear at…”

“What's your point?” Kylo interrupted. His eyes stayed fixed on the phone dwarfed by his unnecessarily large hands. “Because you seem to be lost on the way to making it.”

“My point is that there are a thousand and one things we could be doing that isn't sitting in a Starbucks at Stupid O’Clock. I mean, we could even be back at the hotel, sleeping or making better use of the facilities…”

“Yeah but this is the only place with free wi-fi.”

Hux blinked. Kylo continued to not look at him. Getting him up at this time of the morning and then ignoring him was unacceptable.

“But why do we _need_ free wi-fi when there's all these things we could be doing without the aid of the internet?” He wheedled.

“Phil.”

“Who the fuck is Phil?”

Kylo finally glanced up, his brows drawing together in confusion. “Punxsutawney Phil.”

“Have you had a stroke?”

That got him a leer. “Oohhhh, not for the last few hours, no.”

Hux threw a sticky ice cube at him.

“It's the 2nd of February.” Kylo clarified. He was still fiddling with his phone, though he seemed to have found what he was looking for, more or less.

“Imbolc? Isn't that usually Brigid’s day?”

“What the fuck is e-molg? It's Groundhog Day!”

Perhaps Hux should go and get another coffee because the conversation had long since gotten out of his control. “Isn't that a movie?”

“The movie is about the Day. Today. Phil’s going to tell us when we can go home!”

“Well, home is wherever you are Kylo, but regardless of that I'm not inclined to trust our travel plans to some TV weatherman…”

“He's a groundhog though.”

“Who is?”

“Oh my god Donal are you even listening?!”

Another ice cube stuck to Kylo’s nose for a moment before it dropped to the table.

“No!” Hux hissed. “It's not even 7am yet Kylo, I’m barely even conscious!”

The long-suffering eye roll really wasn't necessary is Hux’ opinion but at least Kylo explained himself at last.

“Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog. He’s going to come out of his den in about ten minutes. Whether he sees his shadow or not will tell us whether there's going to be an early spring.” He pointed at the phone screen, apparently signaling that there would be some kind of livefeed. “Then we’ll know if we can go home.”

“Now who's the one who isn't listening?” Hux asked fondly.

Kylo's lips moved as he ran the conversation backwards in his head. “Oh.” The blush that raced down his chest was very, _very_ cute. “Hux that's… that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me…”

Their fingers wound together on the slightly messy table top. As always Hux paused to admire the subtle flexing of Kylo’s muscles and tendons as he shifted. It wasn't a sight he thought he could ever tire of, not that would ever try.

“I'm in no rush to go anywhere, and- as much as my scientific heart resents it- the warm weather and exercise is doing more for me than the physiotherapy.” Hux squeezed his fingers a little. “So let's not worry about what some rodent says about the weather, yeah?”

“Marmot, but…” Kylo’s eyebrows twitched inward again for an instant before he dropped the phone into the tabletop, “nevermind, he says long winter anyway.”

Hux shrugged. He really didn't care but the conversation was at least more diverting than watching Kylo fiddling with his phone.

“How do they even know if _he’s_ seen his shadow?” He asked for the sake of something to say. “I mean, what exactly do we know about the visual acuity of marmots? Does it do a little dance or something? It's not as if they can read its mind!”

“Well…” Kylo murmured, reaching for his phone again.

“Please tell me you're not googling groundhog optical studies.”

“No,” Kylo said with a mischievous smile, “I’m googling zoos with marmots in Florida actually.”

“What? Oh, no, please don't do this…”

* * *

“Excuse me? Are you a zookeeper here?”

The woman looked down at her branded shirt and lanyard, then back at Kylo. In the great tradition of customer service workers everywhere she kept the smile on her face and didn't give voice to the sarcastic thoughts that such an asinine question deserved.

“Sorry, obviously you are, I meant- do you look after these particular animals?” Kylo clarified with a wave of his free hand. Beside him Hux kept his eyes firmly on the zoo map. It was so close to his sunglasses he was almost hiding behind it. If he could have put it over his head he probably would have done.

The keeper nodded. “Yes sir, do you have a question?”

“No, no. I just wanted to tell someone that these three marmots here are very depressed about the lack of fruit today. They're concerned they're being punished.” Kylo began, ignoring the way the woman’s smile turned brittle and glassy as he spoke. “And, I’m sorry to say this, but that one over there is deeply offended by your zoos choice of uniform colours. He'd rather you wore red instead. I think he came from another zoo and your clothes are confusing him.”

“Ummmm…” The keeper seemed to be lost for words.

“Can I just thank you for the excellent work you do here,” Hux cut in, “and make it clear that I'm not with him.”

“Hux, you're holding my hand.”

With a tug on said hand Hux dragged Kylo away from the yellow-bellied marmots. “I know, but I'm still not with you, not if you ever do that again.”

“Aawwww but they were so much fun to communicate with…”

“Look, an unhealthy interest in the paranormal I can more than work with, but I refuse to live with Doctor Doolittle. I mean, think of the smell.”

“True.”

“Exactly, we can't expect any animal to live with that.”

It was a full five minutes before that particular comment made it through Kylo’s brain.

“Hey!”

Hux laughed. He didn't let Kylo release his hand. But then Kylo didn't really try to.

**Author's Note:**

> [Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr](http://creepycreepyspacewizard.tumblr.com/)


End file.
